Fighting for Robin
by UMdancer98
Summary: There's a new threat in Gotham City and the strength of the Dynamic Duo is about to be tested.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I can't take credit for the plot of this story; it came from Batman Dude. Thanks for the idea and I hope you like it!

As usual, Batman and Robin are based off the 1960s TV show but go back and forth between genres and are sometimes completely out of any characterization. I write it the way it enters my head, which is not always "historically" accurate. Italics usually represent thoughts to oneself but are sometimes used to add emphasis. I _love_ reviews and constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks for reading! :)

 **Chapter 1:**

"This is so cool!" Robin whispered enthusiastically to Batman while they waited behind the black curtain that bordered a stage decorated with blue, red and yellow streamers.

"…and it gives me great pleasure to present this award to our very own crime-fighters," Mayor Linseed had been talking for ten minutes now and the audience was getting restless.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Batman and Robin!" the mayor announced and the crowd gave a collective sigh of relief as they applauded the entrance of the Dynamic Duo.

Batman placed his left hand on his fourteen-year-old partner's right shoulder to keep him from bouncing up and down as they walked across the stage to the podium. When they arrived he shook the mayor's hand and – as the mayor stepped back – held his right hand up in a "thank you" gesture and smiled at the crowd, nudging Robin to do the same. Robin was too excited for that; he started waving at everyone with his left arm straight up in the air and grinning from ear to ear.

"Robin, calm down," Batman whispered out of the side of his mouth, his hand still on the boy's shoulder. "You are a crime-fighter, not a give-me-all-the-attention celebrity!"

"Sorry," Robin mumbled as he dropped his arm and smiled meekly at the audience.

"Thank you, everyone," Batman said as the crowd quieted down. "Robin and I are honored to accept this gift from Mayor Linseed, although we have no need of recognition. We are merely trying to protect the citizens of Gotham City to the best of our ability."

Robin started to open his mouth but Batman looked down at him with a slight glare and he quickly shut it. The crowd laughed at this little exchange and Robin was embarrassed; his face reddened and he dropped his eyes to the ground.

Batman gently squeezed Robin's shoulder, silently apologizing for that awkward moment, and continued, "It is our hope that we, and all the citizens of this city, can do our part to make Gotham the best it can be. Thank you, again."

The audience stood as one and started cheering as Mayor Linseed stepped forward and handed Batman a large statue in the shape of a bat with a little bird by its side. Batman accepted it, nodded to the crowd and gently pushed Robin – whose cheeks were still a faint pink – toward the curtain that led backstage.

Suddenly, all four of the exits in the auditorium were blocked as a large group of well-armed men entered; spreading themselves along the walls. They wore no masks or villain-themed costumes so Batman assumed they were not connected to any of the "regulars" that frequented Arkham. Their clothes were simple: black boots, black pants and black t-shirts with some sort of red symbol on them that Batman was too far away to see clearly.

The audience members began turning around and most of them, upon seeing the weapons, started screaming. Several of the more fragile ladies fainted but were, fortunately, caught by the men standing beside them.

" _Quiet_!" the obvious leader of the group shouted over the noise as he marched through the front door. "Arms up, nobody move and most likely nobody will get hurt!" He raised his six-shooter and let a bullet fly toward the ceiling; ensuring that everyone in the still-standing crowd obeyed his instructions.

Batman crouched behind the mass of raised arms – pulling Robin down with him – and softly set the statue on the stage floor. He caught his partner's eyes and flicked his head to the left. Robin nodded and, staying low to the ground, silently headed for the backstage exit as Batman went the other way.

"Everyone on your knees on the ground; you, too, Batman," the man ordered. Everyone knelt and he looked up at the stage that now held only one person – Mayor Linseed – and a large silver trophy. He frowned and began striding up the middle aisle then ran up the eight steps leading to the stage in order to check the wings. There were no signs of the Caped Crusaders and he became frustrated.

Batman and Robin, meanwhile, had circled around the auditorium and soundlessly entered the front doors. Robin went right, quietly taking out the gunmen one by one. Batman did the same on the left but the third one he eliminated had a chance to send a muffled shout to his partners. Everyone, including the leader of the group, turned toward the sound as Batman reached for the next man.

Robin saw the man on the stage aim his weapon in Batman's direction. "Batman, gun!" he yelled as loud as he could and tried to run up to the stage through the crowd.

Batman – whose back was to the stage – heard his partner yell and turned as the gun fired, the bullet hitting him in the left shoulder and knocking him to the ground.

Robin was so focused on what was happening on the other side of the room that he failed to notice the two burly men who came up behind him. They each grabbed an arm and roughly started to drag him toward the west exit. Robin, his back to the door, refused to go easily; he threw his legs up and secured one around the front of the neck of each goon. This was his newest trick – use his leg muscles to squeeze the air out of his opponent, allowing him to push the bad guy onto his back and free himself from any type of grasp being used on him.

The men knew about his athleticism, however, and they were ready for him. The goon on Robin's left swiftly switched hands, putting his right on Robin's left arm and thrusting his left down onto Robin's chest, knocking the wind out of him. His legs lost their grips and dropped in front of his body as he struggled for air.

"Batman!" he gasped with all the strength he could muster and a large, dirty hand appeared in front of him, slapping itself over his mouth. He continued to fight but the men were strong and he was wasting a lot of energy.

Batman faintly heard his partner say his name as he was standing up, his right hand pressed firmly against the steadily bleeding wound on his left shoulder. He saw Robin being hauled away and started pushing his way across the room, ignoring the pain of the injury as he shoved people out of his path.

Robin, still refusing to give up, had managed to wrap his right leg around the right knee of the man whose hand was across his mouth; doing his best to hyper-extend the joint. "Knock him out, already!" a gruff voice grunted directly above Robin's right ear. Robin felt pain on the left side of his head, saw stars and fell into darkness.

"Robin, no!" Batman yelled as he continued to struggle through the crowd. He saw a large fist flying toward his partner's head but his view was obstructed by the chaos surrounding him. He was too far away and the mass of bodies was too dense; he wasn't going to make it in time. The men were already dragging Robin's limp body out the door and, as he looked around, he saw that all the other criminals had also left.

"ROBIN!" he shouted one last time as he heard the roar of an engine and the squealing of tires. He finally made it out the west door but the only things he saw were the dark tread marks of a generic brand of tire and red tail lights fading into the blackness of the night. His young partner had been taken and he didn't know where or by whom.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the review Carl!

I have no hope of ever writing Riddler without completely screwing it up so...my original character's name is a tribute to the actor who played my all-time favorite Riddler. I'm pretty sure you can figure it out if you are at all familiar with that particular villain. It's as close as I'll ever get to having my favorite bad guy in one of my stories. :)

Blas, if you're reading this, I'm sorry; I know it's short. Chapter three will be better, I promise. ;)

 **Chapter 2:**

Batman raced back through the stunned crowd and up onto the stage. "Citizens, please, calm down and find a place to sit," he was trying to gain their attention and most of them began to obey his instructions. He took off his cape and wrapped it around his wounded left shoulder to control the bleeding; waiting impatiently as audience members grabbed over-turned chairs, set them straight and helped each other find seats.

"I need to question each one of you," Batman was stoically avoiding any type of emotional reaction in order to keep his voice steady. "Robin has been kidnapped and…" he had to pause as a loud gasp echoed through the crowd, "…and I need to know everything you can remember about the men who were here. I'll start with the front row, one person at a time, and continue row by row. I merely want to ask you a few questions and then you will be free to leave."

He placed two chairs in front of the stage, sat down on one and motioned to the man closest to him. The man nervously stepped forward and sat on the other chair to be interviewed. Batman spoke with every single person who had been in the room, including Mayor Linseed. Nobody had any extra information; some had seen the red symbol but none could identify or describe it. Most had been too scared to think about or notice _anything_ and Batman's questioning went rather quickly. It wasn't until he got to the last row that he received a clue.

"Hi, Batman, sir. I'm a big fan and…" the man was short and round with a large red beard and eyes the color of chocolate.

Batman impatiently cut him off, "Thank you, but I'm looking for information, not admirers." He felt a little bad about that but Robin was missing so he dismissed the feeling.

"Yes, sir, of course, sir, sorry," the man mumbled apologetically as the tips of his ears became the same color as his beard and he began twisting his hands nervously in his lap.

Batman sighed, "Please just tell me if you noticed anything unusual about the men, their clothing or their weapons."

"Okay, sir, um, there was a red symbol on their shirts and the boots were made of imitation leather. I'm a shoemaker by trade, sir, and most work boots…" he saw Batman run a hand down his tired face so he changed his train of thought, "…anyway the symbol was bright red; almost like the color of fresh blood."

Batman leaned forward; this was something new. "Can you describe what it looked like?" he asked, hoping for something useful from this so-far slightly observant man.

"Yes, sir, it was a perfect circle with an oval running horizontally through it. All the way through; the edges were sticking out of the sides of the circle." He watched as Batman grabbed a small notebook and a Bat-pencil from his utility belt and began sketching.

"Go on," Batman encouraged as he paused with his Bat-pencil hovering over the paper.

"Okay, um, down the middle vertically there was a rectangle – again passing all the way through the circle – with a small, solid red dot right above it and another one right below it. Sir." The man was still nervous but thrilled that he was able to give information to his hero.

Batman finished his sketch and held it up for the man to see. "Is this accurate?"

"Yes, sir," the man was impressed with the preciseness of the drawing. "That's perfect, sir, and the ends of the oval and rectangle are exactly the correct length away from the circle."

Batman studied the symbol then looked up at the man, "Do you know anything about these markings? Have you ever seen them before?"

"No, sir, I'm sorry, sir," the man seemed disappointed in himself for not having any further information about it. "But I did notice one more thing that has nothing to do with that symbol," he remembered eagerly.

Batman was surprised that this man had kept his wits about him and was able to gather all this information while being held at gunpoint. "Okay, go ahead," he urged.

"Well, I don't know if this was on all of the pants, sir, but the man standing by me had an unusual pattern near the bottom of his right leg – two red triangles pointing up followed by two red triangles pointing down. It went all the way around the hemline, sir," the man was pleased with himself again and grinned when he saw the thoughtful look on Batman's face as his hero drew another picture. "Yes, sir, that's correct, also," he stated when Batman held it up for his inspection.

"Thank you, citizen, you have been most helpful," Batman actually smiled at him. "If there is nothing else, you are free to go."

The man screwed up his face in thought then dropped his head; he had nothing else. "That's all, sir, and I hope you can find Robin soon. Thank you, sir," the man stated as he stood up to leave.

"What is your name?" Batman asked as he also stood up and extended his hand. "Perhaps we will be able to pay you a visit when Robin has been safely returned. I'm sure he will want to thank you himself if this information leads me to his captors."

The man's face lit up as he grabbed Batman's hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Franklin, sir, Franklin Gorsh." He turned to leave but looked back, "Thank you, sir," he nodded then scurried away, excited at the prospect of a possible visit from the Dynamic Duo.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and comments Blas, Batman Dude, Carl and mystery guest!

Batman Dude - I know this isn't what you were talking about but don't worry, your idea will be revealed in the next chapter! :) I had to get the story started before I could begin to use your plot line.

 **Chapter 3:**

Robin awoke and found himself tied to a chair – like he usually was when he was kidnapped. This time was different than any of the others, though: the chair was extremely cold and his entire body was wrapped with a freezing metal chain that completely restricted any movement. There was a burlap sack over his head; the only sense that might actually help him was hearing and, at the moment, there was nothing to hear. A shiver ran down his body but, because he was tied up so tightly, there was no outlet so it became a continuous trembling that he couldn't figure out how to stop. _Holy human popsicle!_ A slight brush of warm air glided past the left side of his body and he tried to shift toward it but only succeeded in drawing blood from his left arm – the long chain was unyielding and he couldn't move.

Robin sighed in exasperation as he shivered. Why was _he_ always the one taken? Why couldn't _he_ be doing the saving…just once?! Of course, that would mean _Batman_ would be the one in trouble and he didn't want that to happen. He sighed again; Batman was more capable of saving someone anyway so it was probably for the best.

Robin was starting to feel a little sluggish so he shook his head to keep his brain awake and functioning. There was a breeze of warmth again, this time on his right side. He bent his neck down and shook his head a little harder, attempting to shake off the sack, and succeeded in getting it over his left ear. Keeping his head down and tilting it to the right, he tried to flip the bag over the rest of his head and – after a few quick snaps of his neck – it flew off and landed about a foot away. The light was bright and he squeezed his eyes shut before carefully opening them and looking around. That didn't help him, though, because he couldn't see anything. The light shining into his eyes created shadows all around him and he had no idea what could be hiding in the darkness.

He looked down at the chain wrapped around his trembling body and was surprised to see an unsecured lock right in front of his stomach. _Holy luck of the draw!_ He grinned and tried rocking the chair from side to side in order to detach the chain from the small hole in the lock but frowned when he realized that the chair wasn't moving…at all. He was totally and completely immobile.

A short figure dressed entirely in black stepped quietly from the shadows, startling Robin. He squinted up at the man but couldn't see his face well enough to distinguish any features. There was a red symbol on the man's shirt and Robin assumed that it was the same one that had been on the clothing of the gunmen back at the auditorium. He studied it: a circle, an oval and a rectangle. Robin had never seen anything like it so he couldn't connect it to any villains he knew. His thoughts were starting to jumble together so he shook his head again. _Holy brain freeze._

The man watched the boy carefully. He looked to be about thirteen or fourteen and the man couldn't understand why a bona-fide hero like Batman would want to have to worry about the safety of a _kid_ while fighting crime. He began to pace slowly in front of the boy, trying to figure out his purpose. What did he mean to Batman? Would the hero try to find his sidekick or leave him to fend for himself? Batman would probably be able to work more efficiently without…Robin? The way he had reacted earlier, though, belied that thought.

"What do you want from me?" Robin asked, his teeth chattering.

The man stopped pacing and stepped closer, lowering his face to the boy's level and causing his large red beard to brush against Robin's nose. That triggered a sneeze from the young hero and the man wiped his right hand across his own face in disgust before answering.

"Batman," the man's voice was rough and his chocolate-colored eyes burned into Robin's lighter blue ones but the fourteen-year-old hero didn't flinch.

A quiet chuckle found its way through Robin's blue lips and he rolled his eyes, "Holy cliché – that's what they all say. You aren't very original."

"Cold?" the man ignored the insult.

"Yes, and are you not smart enough to use a full sentence?" Robin didn't like acknowledging a weakness but at least he had something to throw back at the man.

"Gullible," the man replied and grinned, showing Robin a row of yellow teeth with brown stains.

"Me?" Robin scoffed. "You haven't even done anything yet!"

"Not you; Batman," the man scoffed back.

Robin narrowed his eyes and growled, "What have you done with him?"

"Safe," the man shrugged as he returned to one-word answers and that irritated Robin.

"Safe? That's all you can tell me? Where is he?" Robin threw his head forward – attempting to hit the man on the forehead – and, to his surprise, he was successful.

Anger crossed the man's face and he drew back a fist but then put it down. That shocked Robin; he had been expecting a hit and had never seen a villain restrain himself like that. The man straightened up and backed away. He wouldn't let the kid get to him.

"Who _are_ you?" Robin inquired and the man could hear the surprise in the boy's voice.

"I bet nobody's ever held back from shutting you up like I just did," the man stated, pride evident in his tone.

Robin frowned, "True but…why? Are you scared of what I might do to you? I'll get out of this little trap and then I'll take you down," he was smirking now. "Also, nobody has ever been able to shut my mouth for more than a minute or two but if you want to try…"

"Don't test me, boy!" the man roared.

Robin grinned, "Uh-oh; did I just upset you?" _Holy igloo, it's cold in here._ "Alright, fine. Give me a minute to get out of this," he touched his chin to his chest, "and then we can find out who is more capable of shutting the other one up."

He had gone a little too far and the man let his fist fly into Robin's jaw, knocking the entire chair onto the cold floor.

Robin spit out some blood from his split lip and wiggled his body out of the freezing metal. He had been hoping that a collision with something would jar the chain loose and it had worked. His body was still trembling but at least he had some control of his movements now. He silently stood up and laughed to himself. _Holy predictability._ Villains were always short-tempered and he could usually use that to his advantage.

The man had turned away, frustrated with himself. He wanted Batman and knocking the boy around wouldn't bring him any closer to getting what he desired most: the famous utility belt.

Robin threw himself at the man, leaping onto his back and using his momentum to turn the guy around and drop him face-down on the floor. He rolled off and jumped up, prepared to go on the offensive, but the man was motionless and Robin was confused. _That_ was something new; he had never knocked anybody out using just that move. He walked cautiously over to the body, remembering that the man had called _Batman_ "gullible". He nudged the legs with his foot and, when there was no response, he knelt down and felt for a pulse. It was hard to find, though, because his hand was shaking and almost numb. Giving up on that, he started to turn the man onto his back when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. He had been too focused on the bearded man and had neglected to observe his surroundings – just like in the auditorium.

 _Holy oversight; you've been trained better than this!_ Robin put his hand up to his neck and pulled out what looked like a wooden toothpick. As soon as it was out the pain was gone and he whipped his head around, attempting to find the source of the shot. There were still only shadows and he didn't want to just go around swinging blindly in the dark. He carefully stood up and slowly turned in a full circle, searching for anything out of the ordinary. _Holy…sedatives._ His vision started to blur and his head started pounding as his body wobbled and then dropped quietly to the ground.

The red-bearded man stood up and shook his head, "Gullible. That was a pretty good move, though. Maybe I should keep him…."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews DynamicDuoFanandPhoneGuy, Blas and Batman Dude!

 **Chapter 4:**

Batman was in the Batcave, where he had been all night, searching everywhere for the unusual symbol. He had checked the Bat-computer and the Bat-encyclopedias, all while running his sketch through the Bat-symbol analyzer. The first two had failed him and the third was taking a longer-than-normal time. He leaned against the side of the Bat-computer, crossed his arms over his chest, closed his eyes and concentrated on the shapes. He had never seen anything even remotely close to resembling that formation. Maybe the red-bearded man had been wrong about the shapes or their placement. Perhaps he had just made it up in order to give some kind of evidence to the man he admired.

Batman opened his eyes and moved to the front of the Bat-computer in order to enter the information about the pattern on the black pants. He wasn't too hopeful about getting anything from it, though. How could the guy study the symbol on the shirt long enough to be able to describe it so well _and_ identify something different about a man's pant leg? The gunmen were only there for about six minutes.

 _DING. DING._ The Bat-symbol analyzer was spitting out some paper and Batman took four steps to his left to retrieve it. The papers were blank and he was stunned. Even one of his highly-sophisticated Bat-analyzer machines couldn't figure it out for him! Why was it that whenever Robin was taken he ran into dead end after dead end? Why couldn't it be, just once, easy to locate his young partner?

 _BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

"Yes, Commissioner?" his voice was unemotional as he answered the Batphone, even though he was surprised that the commissioner was calling at seven o'clock in the morning.

"Batman, you should come down to the station right away," the commissioner's voice held more than a small tinge of worry. "We found Robin."

"You what?!" Batman shouted. _How did the police find him when I'm stuck?_

"He's in pretty bad shape…" Commissioner Gordon started to say but the Batphone had already been disconnected.

Batman pushed the Batmobile to its limit as he raced toward the station. _How did they…?_ This had never happened to him before; he was always able to find the villain first, take care of the situation and then leave him – or her – secured and ready for the police to handle.

He jumped out after parking in front of the building, bolted up the steps and burst through the commissioner's closed door; freezing in shock when he saw the state of his partner. Robin was on the couch, his face pale, blood trickling from his nose, his body trembling – even with a blanket on him – and his eyes closed with dark circles surrounding them.

"He was found behind the station about half an hour ago; I called you as soon as he was brought to me. We have tried everything we could think of but his condition has not changed," the commissioner reported as Chief O'Hara nodded in agreement. "We can't even stop the blood…" he paused as Batman moved quickly to the couch and knelt beside Robin.

"Robin, can you hear me?" Batman asked loudly. He received no response and he put his hand on his partner's forehead. Even through his glove he could feel that the boy was burning up but Robin was shaking so badly that he was almost vibrating off the couch. Batman scooped his partner up in the blanket and walked quickly out of the office without looking back. He was worried, _really_ worried. Robin had been sick before but never like this. He stared at his partner as he buckled him into the Batmobile and felt the coldness of Robin's body while tucking the borrowed blanket around him. How had the kidnappers managed to put his partner in this condition in less than twelve hours? He could concentrate on that later, after Robin was stabilized. Batman jumped into the Batmobile and sped toward the Batcave, hoping he had something to lower his young partner's fever _and_ warm him up.

* * *

Robin felt cold metal under his back and cracked his eyes open only to discover that, to his dismay, the bright light was still there. He blinked once and suddenly Red-beard was leaning over him, grinning arrogantly.

"Just like Batman, gullible – you've obviously been trained by him. You are less observant, however. Did you really think that one move would knock me out? It was a pretty good trick, though. Mine was better – I actually did shut you up."

Robin realized that he couldn't feel any of his limbs but he wasn't going to give the guy the satisfaction of victory. "Noyudinat," he slurred as he attempted to smile. He closed his eyes but a shadow fell over him so he immediately forced them open again. There was a different man standing by him now, holding up a syringe, and Robin's eyes widened in trepidation.

"Sorry about the freezing temperature in here. This liquid," the new man tapped the syringe, "is _very_ sensitive to heat. Don't worry, this shouldn't hurt. Well, at least not for long," he smiled kindly and that puzzled the Boy Wonder. The confusion was shoved aside, however, when the man pushed the needle into Robin's neck, right above his clavicle.

Robin arched up as a fiery pain swept through his entire body. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe and wanted to fall into the blackness surrounding his brain. The drug wouldn't let him, however, and he couldn't do anything to stop the burning feeling in his veins.

" _STOP, PLEASE_!" Robin's initial scream turned into whispered shouts of a plea which he repeated over and over until his throat gave out.

After forcing every last drop of the liquid from the syringe into the small body, the man pulled the needle out and Robin collapsed. Darkness filled his whole body as he rolled limply off the low table and onto the floor, blood already beginning to drip from his nose.

One man stared in amazement and the other laughed with glee. The man with the red beard bent to pick up the motionless form but his taller companion was quicker; he picked it up and laid it over his left shoulder. They walked out of the warehouse they had been using as a hideout and carefully positioned Robin's body in the backseat of a non-descript black car.

"I can't go with you; Batman knows what I look like," the shorter man stated. "I did meet him last night, after all, and he seemed very impressed with the information I was able to 'remember'."

The other man nodded, got in the car and drove away toward the Gotham City Police Station as the sun began to rise in the east. Upon arriving, he pulled into the back alley and looked around cautiously before quietly exiting the vehicle and dragging Robin's body out onto the dirt. He crouched down and checked the boy's pulse, forehead and nose – making sure the drug was working like he thought it would – before glancing around one more time. He didn't see anyone so he jumped back into the car and sped away.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: For purposes of this story, a blood transfusion cannot be given if a person has any kind of fever. Thanks!

I'm glad you like it so far Blas and Batman Dude!

Batman Dude - thanks for checking up on me and sorry about the delay. I haven't had time to triple-check grammar, spelling, punctuation, word flow, etc. and I don't post any chapters without doing that (I'm kind of a perfectionist and hate publishing mistakes!). Sorry again!

Yandere-chan - thanks for the compliments and encouragement! Riddler is awesome but I'm not good at creating riddles. I would totally ruin his character and he's my favorite so I really don't want that to happen. :) Thanks again for the compliments about my writing!

Spring Break is here! Kiddos at home all day plus husband taking the entire week off equals a questionable ability to update. Don't be surprised if you don't see much this week. It will be a good lesson in patience for all of us. ;-) Anyway, I'm sorry in advance and I hope to see you on the other side! :-)

 **Chapter 5:**

Batman zoomed into the Batcave and unbuckled himself while parking the Batmobile. He ran around to the passenger side, quickly but gently lifted Robin out and took him to the medical table. He grabbed a blanket and tossed it on top of the table before laying his partner down then, in order to accurately gauge Robin's temperature, he removed his gloves. His forehead felt even hotter than it had been at the police station and his small body was still trembling as blood continued to trickle over, and into, his partially open mouth. Batman quickly placed some pillows under the boy's head so the fluid wouldn't fill his throat. He turned to the drawer on his right and grabbed a syringe. Opening the cupboard directly above that drawer, he quickly sifted through several medicinal vials and - after finding the one he wanted - filled the syringe, turned back to the table and pushed it into the inside of Robin's left elbow. He held his hand under his partner's nose to re-direct the blood and was relieved when it slowed down and finally stopped. He noticed the light bruise on Robin's jaw but was surprised as he glanced over the rest of his partner's body and found no further evidence of a fight. Either Robin had been compliant and silent – which was highly unlikely – or this, whatever _this_ was, had happened soon after his capture.

"Robin, are you with me?" Batman was speaking loudly again. "Can you hear me? Give me some kind of response, come on!"

Robin remained motionless and Batman spotted something on his partner's left bicep - the symbol; the same one from last night. It was merely a drawing so there would be no scars but this was proof that the red-bearded man had given him useful information. But he still had no clues about the mark or the identities of the kidnappers. Stabilizing Robin was his priority but it would help him to know who had done this. He put his hand on Robin's neck to check his pulse and noticed a small wound, much like the hole he had just put in his partner's elbow. Now he knew why Robin wasn't responding: he had been drugged. Batman was relieved; his young partner would soon be conscious and healthy. He slipped a Universal Drug Antidote Pill from his utility belt and put it into Robin's mouth, waiting impatiently for it to dissolve. It didn't work right away - Batman was a little concerned about that - and, after five more minutes of waiting with no results, he was not only worried but also shocked. What was this obviously new drug and how could he get it out of his partner's system?

He felt Robin's forehead again and grabbed the Bat-fever reducer from the shelf on his left. After measuring the correct amount, he lifted his partner's head and slowly got the medicine down his throat. It was difficult; he had to pause twice to let some especially violent shivers run through Robin's body.

Robin's left eye twitched and Batman immediately lifted the lid. His eye was not its usual color; it was almost…chocolate? Batman narrowed his eyes as he found another clue that was probably accidental - there were some tiny red hairs in Robin's dark eyebrows. Pieces fell into place and everything clicked in Batman's mind. He had been so desperate for clues that he hadn't paid close attention to the man's body language or vocal tones. Franklin Gorsh – Batman easily recalled the man's name – had been smart; starting out with flattery and using 'sir' all the time. Batman was furious with himself; Robin's condition was partially his fault and he was going to _kill_ that man for doing this to his partner.

He began pacing in the three-walled square that was the medical area. "How could I have been so gullible?" he growled as he shook his head. He thought back on the interview and realized two things: the man was a really good actor – although that was _not_ an excuse for his negligence – and Batman had let his emotions get in the way. Robin was the one who usually had trouble controlling his emotions and Batman had been working with him on that. But how could he help his partner understand the advantages of restraining his emotions if he, _Batman_ , couldn't do it himself? This wasn't the first time Robin had been kidnapped so why had he been so unobservant? He suddenly stopped and glared at the medicine cabinets on the wall in front of him: the symbol. He had been too focused on that; it had been an excellent distraction. He shook his head again and resumed his pacing. He was going to _kill_ that man for doing this to his partner.

There was a quiet moan and Batman quickly stepped over to the table in order to see Robin's face. His partner wasn't moving and Batman thought that maybe he had imagined the noise. No, there it was again. Robin had started to sweat and Batman checked his forehead. It had cooled down a little bit so he grabbed another blanket and placed it on top of the small, still-shaking body. He waited silently, hoping for another sound or movement, but there was none. He placed his fists on the table next to his partner and dropped his head, struggling to calm his fury so it wouldn't manifest itself in his voice.

"Robin," he almost yelled, "it's time to wake up. Fight this off, whatever it is, and come back to me."

Robin's left eye twitched again – and it was a little more noticeable this time – but nothing else happened.

* * *

Robin was in the dark and wandering aimlessly around. He had no idea where he was but knew that walking around was going to help him find a way out, even though it was as black as a moonless night everywhere he looked. He laughed at himself as he strolled through the darkness; who did he think he was, some kind of hero who could escape from a situation like this? He didn't even know the situation, though, so why did he think he needed to escape? He was confused and couldn't figure out why a large shadow that was almost as black as the night was following him around. The shadow kept whispering to him but he didn't understand the words. He shrugged; whatever the shadow was saying probably wasn't very important anyway.

Robin tried to stick his hands into the pockets of his pants but found tights and a belt instead. That was strange; since when did he wear _tights_? Also, why would the belt have a lot of small pockets? He couldn't remember why he would use something like that; it seemed very silly to have a belt with a bunch of pockets all the way around it. He shrugged again; it didn't really matter.

The voice was still murmuring. _Shut up; I can't understand you anyway!_ There was one word he caught: Robin. Did the shadow like birds and want to talk about them? _Okay, canary and bluebird and…whatever._ He sighed loudly; he didn't really care for birds but the shadow kept whispering about robins. _What do you want from me? A robin is just a plain bird so what is your obsession with it? I don't like birds, okay? Just go away and leave me alone!_

* * *

Batman watched as Robin's face began twisting itself into all kinds of different expressions. What was going on in his partner's mind? He looked bored but that quickly turned into confusion, which was followed by a slight smirk, then he seemed annoyed and then it all stopped.

"Come on, Robin," Batman had been shouting for several minutes now, "don't give in to this drug. Robin, wake up, open your eyes! Fight this and get back here, Robin!"

Robin's body had stopped shaking but his nose had started to bleed again, although not as much as it had before. Batman placed a Bat-tube in his nose, causing the blood to drip into the Bat-blood analyzer machine. It was too soon to give Robin the medicine to stop the blood and the chemicals in the drug needed to be examined anyway. The circles around Robin's eyes were beginning to look like purple bruises but his fever had lowered a little more. Batman was worried about the continuous blood loss but knew he couldn't do a transfusion until the fever was completely gone. He felt helpless and he hated that feeling.

"Robin, Robin, Robin!" Batman started yelling his partner's name over and over, hoping that something would start working. Suddenly there was a loud gasp and a short shiver.

"Alone," Robin muttered with his eyes squeezed tightly and his face annoyed. He sighed and said it again, although it was much fainter this time and the expression had faded.

Batman grabbed Robin's shoulders and shook them, attempting to be gentle but not succeeding very well. "I'm not going to leave you alone, Robin, so open your eyes and talk to me!" he was roaring at his partner now. But Robin was limp and motionless again and Batman turned around and punched the closest wall.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm getting one last chapter in before the chaos begins! ;-)

Thanks for the reviews and comments Batman Dude, Blas and Owan! Sorry you don't like it mystery guest; I hope you can find something you do like. :)

Blas - I would have liked to see a little more of that relationship in the show; that's why most of my stories have some sort of father/son moment or chapter.

Batman Dude - sorry that it's not what you had in mind anymore and thanks for loving it anyway. ;-)

Owan - thanks for reading and I hope you like my other stories, also!

 **Chapter 6:**

 _BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

"Yes, Commissioner," Batman growled into the Batphone. He had to leave Robin and go all the way to the other side of the Batcave and he wasn't happy about it.

"Batman, how is Robin?"

"No change, Commissioner. Is that the only reason you are calling?"

"No, Batman. We have an envelope here addressed to you with a strange red symbol on the front."

Batman's eyes widened. "I'm not leaving Robin, Commissioner, so please open it and read whatever it is to me."

There was a quick ripping sound and then some crinkling of paper.

"Okay, it says: 'Batman, how is your sidekick? Does it hurt to watch his life fade away before your eyes or are you relieved that you won't have to watch his back anymore?' I'm sorry…" the commissioner choked up and had to pause.

"Commissioner, get ahold of yourself and read!" Batman demanded.

"Of course," the commissioner made an effort to calm himself in order to continue reading. "Okay: 'If you want to save his life, I have the antidote to the drug but I won't give it up easily; I want something in return. Meet me at the Gotham City Train Station at 10PM tonight and you'll learn everything you need to know. By the way, your sidekick has less than a day to live.' That's all there is, Batman," the commissioner stated quietly.

"Thank you, Commissioner," Batman's voice was also quiet as he hung up the Batphone and stared at it thoughtfully.

 _What does he want? It doesn't matter; he's going to get it. Why wouldn't he tell me in the letter, though?_ Batman sighed; there was a new villain in town and he was crazy, too. At least Gotham still had enough regular criminals to keep him, and Robin, sane. He checked his watch – 1:35. He had a long time to wait for that antidote….

Robin shook his head slightly and Batman ran across the Batcave when he saw the motion. "Robin," Batman was now shouting at his partner every time he spoke, "are you with me? Are you ready to wake up for me?" No response and no further actions from the small body. Batman gently brushed the hair away from his partner's face. "Robin, please…" that plea was whispered in frustration.

* * *

Robin's world had grown a little lighter; it was gray instead of black. The shadow was gone and he didn't have to listen to those annoying whispers anymore. For some reason his head started to hurt so he shook it to try to relieve the pain. It worked but it also brought the shadow back and the shadow wasn't whispering anymore. The voice wanted Robin to wake up and he chuckled; he already _was_ awake. Did the shadow think he was stupid? And what was it with the bird? Robin – that was a funny word. He said it out loud a few times and laughed at the sound. The shadow was really obsessed but Robin couldn't understand why.

"…bin," came the soft sound and Batman whipped his head around from the cabinet where he was getting more medicine for the unrelenting fever.

"Ra…" Robin made another noise and Batman leaned over him.

"Are you trying to say 'Robin'?" Batman asked, his voice close to Robin's left ear.

Robin laughed again as the shadow made the weird sound of that word. He was annoyed that it was so loud, though, because his head started to hurt again. He shook it, assuming it would work like it had last time, but that only made the pain worse. Stupid shadow was giving him a major headache and now he was mad at it. He wanted to hit it but knew that he was a weakling and a punch from him would probably feel like a breeze to the large shadow.

Batman felt a spark of hope rise in his chest when Robin moved his head again and twisted his mouth into a sort-of frown.

"Come on, Robin, wake up, open your eyes, talk to me," Batman was still yelling at him. "You are taking way too long and you know I don't like laziness."

Now Robin was really angry. Not only was the shadow getting louder, it was also insulting him. Maybe he _was_ lazy. No, he had been walking around for days; he definitely wasn't lazy.

Robin started shivering again and Batman wrapped the two blankets tighter around his body. The blood suddenly started pouring from his nose and his face grew red as his temperature rose quickly. Batman, who prided himself on never panicking, panicked. He grabbed the Bat-fever reducer – even though it was too early – and poured it into a syringe, shoving it quickly into his partner's right elbow. The Bat-tube was forcefully driven out of Robin's nose and he began choking on his own blood. Batman pulled him up to sitting and watched Robin's life begin to flow out of him. He couldn't lay Robin down but he also couldn't reach the medicine that he hoped would stop the blood. He made a quick decision and pulled his partner up to stand then carried his limp body over to the cabinet, leaving a trail of bright red behind them. He propped Robin's body up against the counter and held him there with one leg while he retrieved the medicine and another syringe; it was too early for this, also, but he did it anyway. Not caring if he hit the same spot, he glanced down and shoved the needle into Robin's left elbow then dropped the syringe and pulled his partner back to the table. Robin was white – even the heat of the fever had left his face – and the blood didn't stop. It slowed down, though, and Batman was relieved about that but worried about how much of the life-sustaining fluid his partner had just lost. Suddenly the shivering ended, the blood stopped and so did the rise and fall of Robin's chest.

"No! No, no, come on, Robin! Don't give in, keep fighting, don't you dare leave me!" Batman was roaring again as he laid Robin on the table and searched for a pulse; it was there but very slow with large gaps between beats.

* * *

Robin felt himself choking but he didn't understand why. He glanced around the now-bright room and found that there was nothing to choke on so…why was he choking? He looked down and saw the color red draining out of his chest and making a river that unexpectedly became purple and rose into the sky. Now he was really confused and he began to get dizzy. The room started to darken, the shadow yelled at him to fight and Robin dropped to the ground and stopped moving.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and comments Blas, Owan, Batman Dude and Lily! Just a reminder that, for purposes of this story, someone with a fever cannot be given a blood transfusion. Thanks!

Blas - I didn't put Alfred in this story but I don't know why it happened like that. Maybe he is out of town...? :)

Owan - thanks for letting me know that you like all of my stories!

Batman Dude - thanks for sending me some luck; it hasn't been too crazy this week!

Lily - you have a smart brother... ;-)

 **Chapter 7:**

Robin wasn't dying; he couldn't be dying. He was _Robin_ and he wasn't going to die. Batman sat on the chair he had brought over next to the table and kept his hand on Robin's neck. The gaps between beats were becoming longer and there was nothing Batman could do to stop it. If he gave his partner a blood transfusion with his high fever, Robin would die. If he sat there and did nothing, Robin would die. If, if, if…everything ended in "Robin would die."

He glanced down at his watch – 8:45. The train station was half an hour away from the Batcave. Even if he got the antidote at ten and left right away, it would be at least ten-thirty before he would get back and then another few minutes to administer the medicine and get it working. There was no way Robin was going to last two more hours if things continued the way they were going. He wasn't going to be able to save the life of his young partner – his ward whom he had promised to protect.

Batman rested his head on his still-extended arm and closed his tired eyes. The man with the antidote was going to pay for this; Arkham wouldn't need a vacancy for him. Why was the exchange happening so late when Gorsh had said that Robin had so little time left? The guy wasn't going to get whatever it was he wanted since Robin would be… "Dead _._ " _There, I said it. Robin is going to die. No, he's Robin and he's strong; he's always been so strong. He can fight this and hang on for two more hours._ Batman shook his head and tossed that hopeful thought out of his mind. No, two hours was too long and Robin was so pale and still.

* * *

Robin opened his eyes but there was only darkness again. He was scared because the shadow wasn't there beside him, but wanting the shadow to be there confused him. He didn't know who or what it was or even what it wanted from him. The last thing he remembered was the shadow yelling at him to fight but he wasn't a hero; why should he fight? And what should he fight; and how? He sat up but didn't have the energy to stand. _Why am I so lethargic?_ He remembered intense cold followed by intense heat and the memories were making his head hurt again. He ran his right hand down his face then slapped himself a few times. He just needed to wake up; that's why he had no energy – he wasn't fully awake yet. The pain in his head was getting worse, though, and it had traveled down to his chest. He placed his hand on his chest, felt his heart slow down and then forgot how to breathe. He searched his brain to figure out how to get air in and out of himself but there was nothing there. Maybe he should just go back to sleep and it would happen on its own. He laid down again and closed his eyes.

* * *

Franklin Gorsh looked at his watch – 9:55. He had assumed that Batman would be early; his sidekick's life _was_ on the line. Maybe he really didn't care about the kid that much. If that was the case then the whole thing had been in vain. Kidnapping…Robin?... to get Batman's utility belt didn't seem to be working; he would have to brainstorm again. What was Batman's weakness? It wasn't recognition – he had learned that back at the award ceremony in the auditorium – and it was now obvious that it wasn't the kid. He would have to start asking some villains who were more familiar with Batman but he wouldn't let them know his reasoning. _HE_ was the only one who was going to use the famous utility belt, even though it would mean double-crossing the man who had funded this project. The man who thought his little symbol was very creative and mysterious when really it was so easy to figure out that Franklin was surprised Batman hadn't gone after the villain and his group of henchmen yet. He shrugged and shook his head; neither Batman nor that crazy criminal were going to be a problem after he had the utility belt.

* * *

Batman checked the time and knew that, if he really was going to meet this criminal, he should go now; his watch showed 9:27. But he couldn't just leave Robin; his partner was about to die and Batman needed to be with him. _Die – he's fourteen years old!_ Batman made a decision and stood up. Robin was going with him. There was nothing keeping him here; he wasn't hooked up to any machines. Batman grabbed a blanket, walked over to the Batmobile and opened the passenger door. At least his ward would be comfortable when he died, even if it was in a car. He smiled sadly; Robin would be proud to die in the Batmobile. Fighting crime was his passion; one he had learned from Batman. _I shouldn't have brought him into this life._ His decision to have a partner was about to kill a fourteen-year-old boy who had always been so full of energy, so strong and so selfless. Batman walked back over to Robin, picked him up, carried him to the Batmobile and situated him gently inside before buckling him. Then he closed the door and went around to the driver's seat.

"Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed," Batman whispered with a glance at Robin. "Roger, ready to move out," he answered himself just as quietly. The engine roared to life and they left the Batcave for one last drive together.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

 _Roger?_ Maybe that was the shadow's name. All of Robin's joints were aching and there was a constant bouncing motion that intensified the pain. At least it wasn't his head or chest anymore. He had also remembered how to breathe and he was proud of himself. The room was a lighter black when he opened his eyes and the shadow had returned. He sat up and attempted to look around but his neck wouldn't move – that was odd. Robin knew the shadow had the power to help him but it seemed to be ignoring him and he growled at it in frustration.

Batman glanced at Robin in disbelief when he heard a quiet grunt of pain. He almost pulled over but realized that if Robin was able to feel pain then he was still clinging to life. He sped up instead; the antidote was less than fifteen minutes away. Bringing Robin with him had been an excellent decision.

"Robin, you can wake up now," Batman stated loudly. "I heard you groaning about something so open your eyes and tell me what's wrong." There was no response so Batman ended the one-sided conversation by saying, "Keep fighting, Robin. Don't let go."

 _Robins again?! I thought I wanted you here but I don't if all you're going to do is talk about birds. Robin, robin, robin…Robin?_ The word wasn't as funny-sounding as it had been before; it gave him a familiar feeling and his hand automatically dropped to his waist to make sure his utility belt was still there. _What's a utility belt?_

Batman was startled when he noticed a tiny movement under the blanket that covered Robin's body. Robin was _moving_ now?! How had he gone from virtually dead to moving and groaning in fifteen minutes? He was still so pale and Batman couldn't believe that his partner had found the strength to be able to move. He took his now-gloved right hand off the steering wheel and put it on Robin's forehead; still burning hot. The shivering and bleeding hadn't started again, though, and Batman hoped they wouldn't. The train station was around the next corner; Robin could make it.

* * *

Franklin heard a louder-than-he-had-ever-heard-before engine. That had to be the Batmobile and he glanced at his watch; Batman was right on time. The hero _did_ care about his sidekick; maybe the kid _was_ his biggest weakness. He grinned in anticipation. If he had calculated correctly, which he knew he had, the boy would be at death's door now and dead before the antidote could begin to work. He would have Batman's utility belt and Batman would have a dead sidekick.

* * *

Robin decided he would try to fight something. The shadow had told him to do that several times now and he trusted the shadow. Why did he trust the shadow? That was a thought for later. _How does one go about fighting when there is nothing to fight?_ The room was a light gray again and he was able to stand up. _Now what?_ He started throwing punches like he had seen people do in the movies but nothing was happening and he started to feel really stupid. The exercise had also exhausted him and he sat down again. Maybe if he just stayed still the shadow would give him instructions that would make more sense. That and staying still decreased the pain that had entered his head again.

* * *

The Batmobile raced around the corner and Batman had to brake hard in order to keep from hitting the villain. He narrowed his eyes in recognition as his suspicions were confirmed: the same round body and large beard of that "helpful" man Franklin Gorsh, although right now his beard was black instead of red. Did the guy think Batman wouldn't recognize him if he changed the color of his _beard_? He pushed the door open and stepped out; taking notice of the red symbol on the man's black polyester shirt. Franklin didn't move so Batman strode quickly toward him and punched him in the gut.

Franklin was shocked at Batman's speed – he had come around the Batmobile and punched him in less than five seconds. He frowned as he doubled over and tried to catch his breath; maybe he should just grab the syringe and throw it on the ground. That wouldn't get him the utility belt, though, so he did his best to stand up.

"What do you want?" Batman roared at him. "NOW!" he demanded as he glared daggers into the chocolate eyes of Robin's abductor.

Franklin smiled; this was his moment and he was only three feet away from the prize. "The belt," he stated loudly, "your utility belt."

Batman's eyes widened in astonishment. "All of this," he thundered, sweeping his right arm toward Robin, "for my _UTILITY BELT_?!" He was shocked that the man would go to such lengths for something so simple. He growled in disbelief, "You're trying to _kill_ my partner and all you want is my _belt_?" He unhooked it and dropped it on the ground. "Give me the antidote," he commanded.

Robin heard loud noises and wanted to cover his ears but his arms were, for some reason that he couldn't figure out, numb. The room was so white and bright again and it hurt to keep his eyes open. The shadow was gone but he could hear it thundering around him and that sound was accompanied by the squeaky echo of an annoying rat. Too much was happening and he became overwhelmed. _Robin…utility belt…Robin…utility belt…_ he started repeating the pattern because the words felt safe and familiar.

Franklin continued to grin as he retrieved the coveted utility belt and held it up for inspection. It was beautiful and he couldn't wait to put it on and try out all the gadgets that Batman was famous for having.

"Give me the _antidote_!" Batman roared again and Franklin looked at him in surprise as he lowered his new treasure; he had forgotten that Batman was even there.

"It's on the table," he tilted his head to the left and dropped his eyes in order to view the belt from a different angle. "How is your sidekick, by the way?" he asked indifferently as he continued to examine the prize. "I've seen an example of what that drug can do and…" his sentence was interrupted as he was shoved up against the wall of the train station, the collar of his shirt nearly choking him as Batman tightened his hands into fists around the material. Franklin struggled to keep a tight hold on the utility belt; there was no way he was going to lose _that_.

"You are _LUCKY_ that Robin needs that antidote. I WILL find you again and you WILL regret what you have done, _Gorsh_ ," Batman's tone was threatening and Franklin realized that his sloppy disguise – changing the color of his beard – hadn't worked.

Franklin's mocking laugh sounded more like a gasp when he said, "I have your utility belt. What are you without it? Nothing but a normal person who can throw a few punches."

"Yes, I can throw a _few_ punches," Batman retorted and slammed his fist into Franklin's face. The man dropped like a sack of potatoes and Batman took back his utility belt, grabbed the liquid-filled syringe off the table and raced over to Robin's side of the Batmobile.

The noises were gone, the room was darkening again and Robin started to tremble with fear. Why was he afraid?

Blood began to trickle from Robin's nose as Batman grabbed his partner's right arm, pushed the needle into a vein and held it there until all the liquid was gone. He dropped the syringe on the ground and waited for what seemed like days for something to happen but nothing did. The blood flow became steadily stronger and Batman crouched down next to Robin and dropped his head. This was supposed to work; why wasn't it working?!

"Shadow Roger Robin fight?"

Batman's head flew up when he heard the nonsense that came softly out of his partner's – his _dying_ partner's – mouth. The blood had stopped and Batman took the glove off his right hand and touched Robin's forehead; the fever had gone down slightly.

"Robin, that's you. I don't know who Roger is but I do want you to fight," Batman stated loudly. "Open your eyes and tell me about this shadow."

The shadow was giving him instructions again. _Robin means me?_ Now he knew why the shadow was continually talking about that bird. He was still confused about the fighting part, though. What was he supposed to fight and why was the shadow asking _him_ about itself?

"Fight?" Robin wanted clarification but couldn't seem to ask the entire question. He vaguely remembered being irritated with one-word answers.

"Yes, Robin, fight. You've been drugged and I need you to fight against the toxins that are in your body," Batman demanded.

Robin sighed; the shadow was delusional. Toxin wasn't even a word!

Batman heard the sigh and saw the disappointed expression that crossed Robin's face; now it was his turn to be confused.

"Shadow," Robin slowly shook his head and carefully opened his eyes. It was dark and he didn't like the dark room so he started to tremble again.

"Robin, hey, it's okay," Batman said quietly as he moved away from the light so Robin could see him. The trembling stopped and Batman exhaled in relief. He looked into his partner's still-chocolate eyes and wished they were blue again.

"Robin…shadow…trust…fight…" Robin sounded like he was talking to himself; Batman couldn't understand the meaning of the incomplete sentence anyway.

Suddenly Robin pushed himself up and swung at Batman with a shaky hand. Batman easily stopped the punch and forced his partner to lay down again. To Batman's surprise, Robin smiled slightly.

"Are you the shadow?" Robin inquired, his voice quiet but strong. "I still do not know what I am supposed to fight so I would appreciate it if you would clarify that for me."

Batman was stunned at the length and complexity of Robin's sentence. He had been dying less than two minutes ago!

"I want you to fight the drug that's in your system. You have the antidote in you now and that's helping but you still need to fight against it."

"Thank you," Robin replied. "I am tired and would like to go to sleep; is that okay?"

"Yes," Batman answered, surprised that Robin was asking so formally. "But if I tell you to wake up then you need to open your eyes and wake up. Okay?"

"Okay, I give you my word, thank you," Robin closed his eyes and Batman gently touched his forehead again. The fever was almost non-existent and he would be able to have a blood transfusion as soon as they returned to the Batcave.

"Batman, the utility belt, if you please," Franklin had recovered and was leaning against the wall where he had been knocked out, holding the top of his shirt against his bloody nose and doing his best to sound demanding.

Batman stood up, turned around and stalked angrily toward the man. "No," he declared and took his Bat-cuffs out from one of the pockets. "I was going to beat you to a pulp but Robin needs to get home so I'll just secure you and let the police handle you."

Franklin laughed, " _Robin_ is still going to die. I gave you _half_ of the antidote and I won't tell you where the rest of it is until I have the utility belt in my hands and you are in the Batmobile with the engine running. Then you will leave immediately because if _my_ partner doesn't receive a phone call from me in about five minutes he will destroy the other half of the antidote and you will lose your only chance to save your sidekick. So, the utility belt, if you please."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks for the reviews Blas, Batman Dude and Owan! :)

Batman Dude - the next story is called "Unbreakable" and it's my re-try for Carl and JokerFan2011 and anyone else who wanted something more or different than what was in "Seven Days". Also, how did you know that I have a "next one"? :)

 **Chapter 9:**

David Gorsh paced back and forth in the warehouse that was his current residence. Why did his older brother Franklin want a belt from Batman? What was so special about it? He didn't know anything about Batman or that teenager Franklin had brought to him. It _had_ been nice to have a human test subject for his newest chemical agent, though.

David was a chemist in a research laboratory in Londinium. His nametag said David but his title was Doctorate Professor David Allen Gorsh and he was the lead scientist in the chemical warfare department at the small, well-disguised outpost of the United World Organization. Each new drug that came out of _his_ lab had already been through rigorous testing and was ready to be tried on human volunteers. The volunteers were required to sign all kinds of waivers and other legal documents that would absolve the UWO lab of all responsibility if the subject were to die which, in all likelihood, was going to be the result since every drug had been developed to kill.

This newest drug, though, had not been through testing of any kind. He had created it in a private lab in his run-down apartment building a few blocks away from his workplace. The chemicals he had used were volatile and he had wanted to see what would happen if they were combined. That made him, he supposed, a "mad scientist" and there was no way he was going to present this drug to any of his co-workers. So, when Franklin had called and asked about all of David's projects, he had told his brother about his recently-formulated secret that he would never be able to share. Franklin had been so interested that he had asked David to come to Gotham City for a visit and to bring the drug with him. At first, David had declined; he had not yet developed an antidote and he refused to take _any_ drug _anywhere_ without an antidote. Franklin had sent him a sizeable amount of money so he could attain all the necessary resources to produce the antidote quickly and that's exactly what David had done. The antidote had been difficult, though – much more difficult than he had expected – and he had finally been forced to break it into two parts that had to be combined within an hour of each other in order to completely counteract the drug.

So now here he was, in a warehouse with half of an antidote in his hand, watching the phone on the table as he paced around the room. He checked his watch – 10:22. Franklin had told him that if he didn't receive a call by ten-thirty he was to destroy his portion of the antidote and return to Londinium. He sat down in the chair next to the table and stared at the drops of dried blood from his test subject – a teenage boy in a costume who probably didn't deserve to die. Then again, did anyone _deserve_ to die? The one thing that bothered him was that the teenager hadn't volunteered for this; he didn't get to choose whether or not he was okay with dying. And he was only a kid….

* * *

Batman glared at Franklin then dropped his utility belt on the ground, climbed into the Batmobile and turned on the engine after glancing at his partner. Robin was asleep; he looked peaceful and relaxed. There was no blood, no fever, no trembling and he was breathing steadily. Batman thought for a moment that maybe the man was deceiving him again; maybe there was no "other half" of the antidote. He couldn't take that chance, though. If he _was_ missing a portion, Robin was probably going to die and his partner's life was not something Batman was going to take lightly.

"I have fulfilled my part; now tell me where it is," Batman commanded.

Franklin laughed again, "There is one more thing you need to know. The man who has the antidote is a very accomplished chemist but even scientists make mistakes. I watched him test both the drug and the antidote on a little rat that was bothering us and, I'm sorry to say – well, not really – that the other part of the antidote did not work in time to save the rat's life. Your sidekick is the first human being to have this drug in his system so…" he trailed off when he saw the Bat-glare.

"Tell me where it is or I will force you to in a manner that you will not enjoy," Batman's voice was low and menacing and Franklin backed up a step.

He cleared his throat nervously then tried to keep his voice steady, "It's in number seventeen in the abandoned section of warehouses on the eastern edge of Gotham City."

The Batmobile roared out of sight and Franklin looked down at the utility belt lovingly. _I'm about to be a superhero!_ "Sorry, David," he whispered, "but you know too much." He pressed a button on his watch and, in number seventeen, a small bomb began a countdown.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks Batman Dude and Owan!

Owan - after reading your review I looked it up and, yes, there is a movie of the same name from the year 2000. Thanks for letting me know! I will have to think about changing the title of my next story.

 **Chapter 10:**

David looked at his watch again – 10:33. He hadn't received a call yet but he held a _kid's_ life in his hands. How could he let a teenager, whose life was just beginning, fade away?

David had been surprised at the strength of his drug; he remembered the anguish on the boy's face and the way he had arched in agony for the entire time it took to empty the syringe. It wasn't very long to David – it only took about a minute – but from the way the kid had begun pleading for relief after only ten seconds, it must have felt much longer. Franklin was his brother, though, and he trusted his brother.

* * *

Batman flew through Gotham, the engine roaring loudly. Robin had started to tremble again but at least he wasn't bleeding. He was grimacing and mumbling about a shadow that was, apparently, following him around and he didn't want it to be there. Batman kept glancing at his partner, watching his face carefully. Why did it have to be Robin? Why didn't the man just drug Batman and steal his belt?

The trembling had stopped and Batman was worried about what, if anything, was going to happen next. _Please don't let it be the blood; he can't afford to lose anymore._ Robin wasn't mumbling anymore and Batman decided that the lack of noise was a bad sign.

"Robin, you gave me your word that you would wake up if I told you to so…wake up!" he commanded loudly.

* * *

Robin was wandering around again but this time he was in a large cave. It was cold and he shivered. That reminded him of a time when he had been really cold on a chair and all wrapped up in silver. A new, purple shadow that felt untrustworthy seemed to be stalking him and that made him nervous. It had a fat, curly string of red that hung down from its head to its waist and Robin discovered that he hated that color. Anger radiated from the pulsing string and he _needed_ to know why.

The cave was suddenly much warmer and he turned toward what he believed to be the entrance. A fire was creeping toward him and he was grateful for its warmth but became alarmed when it started encircling him. The purple shadow walked right through the flames and Robin decided to follow. The heat was intense and it hurt when he touched it with his hand but the burning pain would be worth it if he could learn more about the new shadow.

* * *

Robin suddenly arched and yelled, " _STOP, PLEASE_!" If he hadn't been buckled in, he probably would have hit the roof. Batman, completely shocked, quickly pulled over and tried to get his partner to calm down but it wasn't working. Robin's entire body was hot, almost like he was on fire, and now he was pleading for relief from something. Batman reached for his utility belt and realized he didn't have it. Robin's belt didn't have the super-cooling Bat-ice packs that Batman needed and the extra ones were in the Batcave. Robin's back abruptly dropped onto the seat and the heat faded quickly. Batman was confused by the instantaneous change but now knew that there really _was_ another part to the antidote and Robin needed it immediately. He drove back onto the road and listened sadly as Robin continued to whisper the plea, tears sliding down his pale cheeks and mingling with the sweat created by the quick rise and fall of his temperature.

"Robin, open your eyes and wake up; you promised!" Batman's voice was distressed at Robin's obvious recollection, and re-enactment, of the moment he was drugged.

Robin opened his wet eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he turned his head to look at Batman, "but I had to find out why the purple shadow was angry. Are you mad at me?"

Batman heard the despair in his partner's voice and wished he could go back to the beginning and change everything that had happened. Robin hated upsetting people and Batman remembered the time he had overheard his partner tell Alfred that disappointing Batman was his worst fear.

"Robin," he sighed quietly with a quick glance at his partner's face, "I'm not mad at you, I'm worried about you. I thought you weren't going to wake up…"

"I said I was sorry, alright! Holy trolls and goblins, you don't have to yell at me! I know I promised; I just had to do something first!" Robin shouted, frustrated that the man sitting next to him didn't trust him to keep his word. He turned his face away from Batman and crossed his arms angrily.

Batman was stunned and he wanted to stop and look his partner in the eyes but he had to get to that warehouse and the rest of the antidote. _How did he go from miserable to furious in less than ten seconds? What is this drug doing to him?!_

"Stupid shadow," Robin muttered and closed his eyes as his arms slid off his chest.

"Robin, open your eyes," Batman said wearily. "I wasn't yelling at you and I know that you always do your best to keep your promises."

But Robin was in his head again and didn't care about listening to _that_ shadow anymore. The angry purple one was whispering to him now and, even though he didn't trust it, he walked toward it without looking back to see if the dark shadow was following.

* * *

David looked at his watch for the third time – 10:44. He had never killed anyone who didn't have a choice in the matter but it was almost fifteen minutes over his time limit. _Do you trust your brother? Yes. Do you know the kid? No. He's a random teenager – just throw the vial on the ground. But he's just a teenager and he didn't volunteer. Do you trust your brother?_ David stared at the small vial then placed it carefully on the table, stood up and started pacing again. He shook his head; he wasn't a murderer. He would wait until dawn and then he would go back to Londinium with the second half of the antidote – unless the kid arrived in time to be injected and live. The boy's time was running out, though. The antidote would be useless if it wasn't flowing through his system by eleven o'clock.

* * *

The angry purple shadow was now furious and the red string had become black with rage. Robin didn't know what he had done to create this hostility and really regretted following this one instead of returning to the black one that felt safe. He had made it through the fire but knew he couldn't turn around and go back. He was afraid that he had lost the trustworthy shadow forever and he dropped to his knees and asked the purple shadow to leave him alone. To his surprise, it disappeared. But the fear-inducing darkness replaced it and began to spread around the cave, extinguishing the fire and forcing him onto his stomach on the cold floor. He stretched his arms forward to try to get to the exit but now there were pulsing red strings – like the one the purple shadow had – flowing from his fingertips and they didn't allow him to move. The ground was falling and he was going with it. He couldn't see or hear and knew the black shadow wouldn't be able to help him. Everything collapsed around him and he let himself fall as the red strings disappeared and the blackness filled his body.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for the comments Blas and Batman Dude!

Blas - everybody knows that Bat-ice works much better than regular ice, right? ;-) Just put "Bat-" before anything and it's automatically more useful than what we regular humans use.

Batman Dude - sorry it didn't come out the way you were thinking it should! I thought I was following your basic plot line: Robin gets sick, Batman has to get the cure and there is a part missing. I'll try to do better in the future if you decide to give me any other ideas. I'm glad you still like it, even though it's not what you wanted.

 **Chapter 11:**

Batman was startled again when Robin began begging to be left alone. The warehouse was in his sights but he could see the blood from his peripheral vision. It was only a few drops but even that was more than Robin could afford to lose. He wanted to just drive through the doors of number seventeen but what if the antidote was right by the entrance? He parked as close as he could, climbed out and ran over to Robin. The blood had stopped; everything had stopped again. He put a finger on his partner's neck while picking him up and couldn't feel anything. No pulse, no sight nor sound of breathing, no movement at all.

David heard an engine and carefully seized the vial off the table, putting it behind his back and ready to drop it if his brother was the one who entered. His eyes widened when the doors opened: there was a man dressed all in black carrying a limp body and David recognized the colored costume of the boy he had drugged. The man saw him right away and began running, his boots pounding loudly on the cement, and stopped a foot away from David.

"The antidote, do you have it?" Batman's voice was full of fear. What if Franklin had lied? What if Robin really was….

The man looked so distraught that David seriously regretted injecting the young boy, who wasn't moving and probably not even breathing.

"Yes," David whispered and glanced at his watch – 10:58. The boy wasn't going to make it; the antidote wouldn't be in his bloodstream long enough to save him.

"I'm so sorry…" David began but the man in black laid the teenager on the table and glared at him expectantly. David trembled when he saw the ferociousness of the glare and quickly gave him the vial.

Batman opened Robin's mouth but the man slammed his hand onto Batman's arm and pulled out a syringe.

"It has to be…" but he realized how obvious that was going to sound as the man in black quickly poured the liquid from the vial into the syringe and went for the kid's elbow.

David snatched the needle from the man and shoved it into the boy's neck in almost the same place as his previous injection site. "Works faster," he explained as he tossed the syringe away and put his head on the teenager's chest. He was immediately shoved roughly away and thrown to the ground. He sat up and looked at his watch – 11:03.

* * *

Franklin was still at the train station, lovingly holding Batman's utility belt on his left shoulder and rocking it like a baby. He tried to wrap it around his body but it was too little for his large waist and there was no way to adjust it. Oh well, his chest was smaller than his waist so he wrapped it around there instead. It was a little awkward trying to open the pockets up there, though, so he unhooked it and took it to a table in order to examine all the toys he was about to be able to use. Before he opened it, though, he looked at his watch – 10:58. Even if David hadn't destroyed the other half, it would be too late for Batman's sidekick. The warehouse was too far away – Franklin knew because he had calculated everything – and the kid wouldn't have enough of the antidote in him to live. He had the belt and, if Batman did come after him, he would have the advantage. He laid the utility belt on top of the table and gently ran his hand from one end to the other. _It's so beautiful and it's all mine_. He laughed delightedly as he looked at his watch again – 11:03. In seven more minutes the warehouse would blow up and he would miss his brother but it would be worth it; they had never really kept in close contact anyway. He had the utility belt – it was _definitely_ worth it.

Franklin knew he would have to leave as soon as he saw the explosion because the man with the money would be at the train station about twenty minutes after that. Everyone thought he was so trustworthy: his rich funder, Batman, his brother. He had fooled them all and was going to _destroy_ them all, also. The leader of the group because he considered Franklin to be a minion; Batman because he was…well…Batman and David because, sadly, he knew too much. He laughed loudly and began to open the pockets but was startled by the sound of an explosion. He sighed in disappointment; he would have to wait until he was far away from this place before he could look at, and learn to use, the gadgets in his new utility belt. In a couple of months he would have the capability to get rid of all the people that had ever made fun of him or looked down on him. He frowned at the memories but then grinned – their time was almost up….

* * *

Batman replaced the man's head with his own but heard nothing. He lifted his head and grabbed Robin's shoulders, shaking them and yelling his name over and over.

"He had to have it in his bloodstream by eleven," David whispered painfully. He was now a murderer.

Batman turned and glared at David, "He is _STRONG_! He is _not_ dead!" Turning back to the table he grabbed his partner's head between his hands and roared, "Robin, wake up; you don't have time to die! You better be fighting, Robin, or I will be _disappointed_ in you!"

* * *

Robin was screaming; he didn't like free-falling. The black shadow was hovering over him, yelling about birds and fighting and disappointment. He stopped screaming and began sobbing; the shadow was disappointed in him and he somehow knew _that_ was unacceptable. _Sorry, I'm sorry!_ The shadow began to fade away and Robin squeezed his eyes shut then re-opened them, hoping that it had come back. It was his turn to be disappointed but he realized that it was his own fault. Y _ou can find someone better, Batman. Who is Batman?_

* * *

"No, Robin, come on! Fight – you are strong enough to defeat this!" Batman's voice was shaking as a tear slipped down his cheek and he pushed the dark hair away from the face of his fourteen-year-old partner. He fought for control; he could show weakness when he was in the Batcave – not in front of his ward's murderer.

Robin hadn't been breathing for almost four minutes now and Batman placed his arms on the table and dropped his forehead onto his partner's chest. "Fight, Robin, come on, fight, please," he whispered in defeat.

David carefully stood up and quietly walked over to stand by the table. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again. "I should have tested it; I never should have made it in the first place."

"SHUT UP!" Batman commanded as he straightened up. "You don't deserve to be near him. Get out now or you will be dead within ten seconds. If you do leave now then later I will find you _and_ your partner and you will die anyway. Now or then, it doesn't matter, but _get away from ROBIN!_ "

David backed away then turned and ran out the door, tears pouring down his face because of the boy's undeserved and unchosen death. He ran until he couldn't run anymore and then collapsed on the sidewalk. He had just murdered a _teenager_ and he knew that his brother had known that this was going to happen. His older brother; the one he had trusted and loved. He sat up: he didn't have a brother anymore.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks for the reviews Blas and Batman Dude! You people are awesome! :)

There's a disclaimer for this chapter. There is a sentence near the end that uses two direct quotes that appear in episode 1x19 in the tv show - "The Purr-fect Crime". There are apostrophes around the direct portions of the quotes. So, the credit for those goes to Stanley Ralph Ross and Lee Orgel, authors of the script. Also, I'm not making any money off of using them.

 **Chapter 12:**

Robin was still falling, the chasm was endless, but the darkness inside him had lightened. The black shadow was back and following him down. He was grateful but he also knew the shadow wouldn't like him anymore. Finally he hit a solid surface and found that it was hard to breathe. He didn't know who was trembling – himself or the shadow – but he wanted it to stop. He sat up and looked around but the bright light made it hard to see. He squinted his eyes and put his right hand up to shade them. The purple shadow had arrived and it was still furious but the black shadow stepped in front of Robin, almost like it was protecting him. _Batman; I remember you._ He also recalled that he had promised to wake up when Batman told him to so he stood up. _I'm awake._

 _No, you're not. Fight!_ The dark shadow turned around as the purple one disappeared.

 _Fight what?!_ Robin was frustrated by that continual command because he didn't understand how to follow it.

But the shadow just kept repeating that word and Robin yelled back at it, trying to explain that he didn't know how or what to fight. It was like the shadow expected him to be some kind of hero and magically comprehend everything it was talking about.

Robin, fight and wake up. Those were all things the shadow had been saying to him for so long and he thought he had been doing a good job. He knew he was Robin and he knew he was awake.

 _No, you're not. Fight!_ The black shadow advanced toward him and Robin became nervous. Was the shadow that he trusted now turning on him? He decided to fight the _shadow_ and see if that would work. He tried to be brave as he walked up to it and threw a punch at its head, following up with a kick to its legs and finishing with a chop on its neck. The shadow dropped to the ground and Robin jumped on top of it, ready to try and knock it out so he wouldn't have to fight anymore. But instead of landing on the shadow, he fell through it and everything went dark again.

* * *

"Fight," Robin sighed quietly and Batman - who was sitting in the chair with his head in his hands and tear tracks on his cheeks - raised his head, jumped up and stepped quickly to his partner's side.

"Robin?" he shouted. "Can you hear me? Fight, that's right, keep fighting!"

"Fight," Robin repeated a little louder and Batman's despair began to turn into elation. His partner was fighting and trying to come back. He had been _dead_ or so close that it seemed that way!

"Bat-shadow, I beat you," Robin murmured as the antidote became stronger and began to flow faster throughout his body.

Batman thought he understood so he came back with, "That's the only time you'll ever beat me, though, Robin."

Robin heard his name and slowly opened his eyes. Batman was hovering above him, just like the shadow had been, and Robin gave him a small grin. "I can fight," he whispered. He attempted to lift his left hand but gave up and, with concern etched onto his young face, quietly asked, "Why are you crying?"

Batman ignored the question as he looked into his fourteen-year-old partner's now-blue eyes. Running his left hand down his face to erase the evidence, Batman stated, "Yes, Robin, you can fight. Welcome back and don't you dare die again. _Ever_."

Robin's eyes widened slightly, _"_ I _died_?" He considered that for a moment then stated, "No, the black shadow beat the angry purple one and then I beat the black one so I couldn't have died because a dead person can't win a fight." He paused thoughtfully then continued, "Also, a dead person can't fight…at all. So, obviously, I didn't die," he finished with an emphatic nod.

Robin's logical explanation made sense, in a way, so Batman nodded, also.

"You're right; you didn't die. Thanks for not dying."

"Anytime, Batman," Robin grinned again as he attempted to sit up.

Batman put his right hand on Robin's shaky torso and his left under Robin's neck. He gently pushed him back down and declared, "No, Robin. You may be strong and able to fight but you are _not_ getting up and walking out of here. You've lost a lot of blood."

"Blood? I'm bleeding?" Robin lifted his head slightly to look at his chest; the red of his uniform was darker than usual but there was no blood streaming out of him and he was confused. His head dropped back onto the table and he stared up at Batman uneasily, "Um, do you hear a beeping noise or is that just me?"

Batman listened carefully, then ran to the back of the warehouse and found the bomb. There were only thirty seconds left and he sprinted back, sweeping Robin off the table and practically throwing him into the Batmobile when they made it outside. He didn't take the time to buckle either of them and had just exited the row when number seventeen blew up; throwing debris everywhere. He pushed the Batmobile to go faster and saw Robin bouncing around but figured that was better than being crushed by a block of cement. He slowed down and then stopped when they were out of range and turned to Robin, who – apparently – found something funny about the situation.

Robin was trying not to laugh too hard as he declared, "Didn't you once tell me to 'remember motorist safety' when I didn't buckle my safety Bat-belt and I said 'we're only going a couple of blocks'?"

"Yes," Batman said slowly as he realized where this was probably going to go.

"Well, Batman, we went less than a couple of blocks and neither one of us had our safety Bat-belts buckled which, technically, was your fault," Robin was smirking now. "So…" he continued but Batman cut him off.

"Yes, Robin, we all need reminders once in a while and this is a good one for you: never try so hard to die that your partner has to throw you into the Batmobile in order to save your life," Batman was pleased that he had turned that into a "lesson" for Robin.

"Holy one-track mind, Batman, not everything can be turned into one of your lectures," Robin shook his head in amusement. "Please, from now on, 'remember motorist safety' when you are driving away from a bomb. You never know who could be out at this time of night. Which would be worse: killing an innocent person taking a late-night drive or being mortally wounded because you stopped the Batmobile to save that person's life?" Robin knew he had won and he leaned back in his seat.

Batman frowned, trying to ignore the comment and the huge grin on Robin's face. He couldn't think of any way to turn that around so he buckled them both up and began driving back to the Batcave.

"I beat you again, Bat-shadow," Robin laughed softly as he closed his eyes and started to fall asleep.

Batman laid his right hand on his partner's forehead – no fever, no shivering, no non-stop bleeding. He was still as white as a sheet but he was alive. Batman smiled; he had known his partner was strong enough to beat whatever was in that drug because Robin was a fighter and, this time, he had fought for himself.

THE END

Will Batman go after the Gorsh brothers and be able to retrieve his utility belt? What will Franklin do with Batman's belt? What does all of this have to do with the strange red symbol? Tune in sometime in the future (maybe, because right now I have no idea!) to find out. :)

* * *

P.S. I no longer have a title for my next story. It was "Unbreakable" but then I found out that there is a movie with that title and now I don't really want to use it. It's unfortunate because I really liked it. Anyway, if I can't think of anything else that fits the story then it will be called "Unbreakable" but - just in case the title changes - I'm going to give you the summary so you can keep an eye out for it, if you want to. :) I haven't even finished it yet, though, and I'm stuck...really stuck. So, please don't forget about me and, as always, thanks for reading! Here is the summary:

"Batman has called Robin 'unbreakable'. One man wants to prove him wrong."


End file.
